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Residents of Saudi Arabia, where booze and New Year's celebrations are banned, flooded into neighboring Bahrain in search of festivities to ring in 2013. More than 80,000 cars crossed a causeway over the Gulf to Bahrain Monday night to celebrate New Year's Eve, the Saudi newspaper Al-Youm reported on Tuesday. Saudi Arabia adheres to a strict interpretation of Islam and bans alcohol as well as celebrations of Christmas and New Year's Eve. It also Read more [...]

Despite harsh crackdown by Saudi-backed regime forces, Bahrainis held demonstrations in several towns and villages across the country on Monday, calling for the realization of democracy and freedom.Clashes broke out in many areas after Bahraini forces fired teargas canisters and birdshot to disperse the protesters, who called for the release of all jailed activists and demanded that King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa step down.The activists held banners marking the start of their revolution at Manama's Read more [...]

Two police officers have been sentenced to seven years in prison for beating to death a Shiite opposition activist in custody during last year’s crackdown on protesters. The sentences, reported Sunday by the state news agency BNA, were criticized as too lenient by critics and may do little to blunt international criticism of human rights abuses since Bahrain’s Sunni Muslim rulers quelled a Shiite-led uprising last year. The activist, Kareem Fakhrawi, a businessman and a member of Wefaq, the Read more [...]

MANAMA: Bahrain's MP Dr Abdulnasser Janahi was selected secretary general of the Arab Parliament during the 9th Parliament's Office meeting held at the Arab League headquarters yesterday. Arab Parliament president Ahmed Mohammed Al Jarwan said candidates for the post included Ali Hassan Al Zayoud from Jordanian Upper House, Bahrain's MP Dr Abdulnasser Janahi, Tunisian National Constituents Assembly member Dhameer Al Mannai, Ahmed Abdul Aziz Al Yahia from Saudi Shura Council and Egypt's Shura Council Read more [...]